For Parents

1. Q: Do parents have access to their child’s academic records? A: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 protects college students’ rights to privacy by limiting access to their academic records without their written consent. CBC’s policies with regard to FERPA can be found at www.columbiabasin.edu/ferpa.

Release of Information (ROI) forms are available if students want to allow their records to be shared with others. Completed forms must be returned to Student Records so that staff can verify signatures. Unless an ROI is on file, the College’s faculty and staff are generally not allowed to release information, including account/billing information and student grades to parents.

2. Q: What are the College's attendance policies? A: Each instructor determines his/her attendance policy. Generally speaking, however, students should attend every class. National data show a strong correlation between good attendance and good grades.

If students do not attend class by the 10th day of instruction or, for online classes, do not login to the eLearning system by the first week of class, they may be administratively withdrawn. Also, instructors may withdraw a student for excessive absences; the number of absences considered excessive is often found in the class syllabus. Ultimately, however, it is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from a class if they decide to stop attending. If a student fails to complete a course but does not withdraw themselves from the class, the instructor has the right to give the student a failing grade.

3. Q: What is the typical credit load? A: The majority of students at CBC are full-time. Ten or more credits per quarter are considered full-time by the state. Full-time status for financial aid is 12 or more credits per quarter. Some programs may have credit requirements for eligibility such as financial aid, athletics, and certain grants so it is best to check these before registering.

4. Q: What is considered satisfactory academic performance? A: A 2.0 grade is considered satisfactory and equates to a “C” grade. A passing grade is considered anything at 0.7 and above, but students cannot receive a certificate or a degree nor can they transfer to a four-year college with less than a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Students should always strive for a grade higher than 2.0 in every class they attempt if they want to stay out of academic trouble and be able to graduate in a timely manner.

6. Q: What about students who have not decided on a major?
A: Research shows that students who decide on a major or a career are more likely to stay in college and complete a certificate or degree. The Counseling/Advising Center as well as our Student Employment staff can assist students in career exploration and in learning more about job and salary projections for various careers. The course HDEV 135: College Major/Career Planning provides students the opportunity to develop decision-making skills in identifying an appropriate college major or career path. Faculty in workforce programs work closely with students in preparing them for careers in areas such as trades, healthcare, business, science, technology, and social sciences and frequently offer information sessions for students who may have an interest in these careers. By the time students have completed 30 credits or two quarters, they should have a fairly good idea of what they want to pursue.

7. Q: How will my child be advised to take the right courses? A:New students complete a online Getting Started process that helps ensure that students have completed all the requirements prior to beginning classes including advising regarding their first quarter’s classes. In FYI, they are given basic instructions in developing an educational plan based on the program of study/major they seem most comfortable with. Post SOAR Advising & Registration sessions are mandatory for new students. We strongly encourage all students to visit with a completion coach or counselor prior to the time they are scheduled to register each quarter if they have any questions about what courses to take.

8. Q: What assistance is available to students experiencing academic difficulties or who may have
special needs?
A: CBC offers many services and resources to help students be successful. The Academic Success Center housed in the Thornton Center provides drop-in instructional support in subject areas for which there is high demand, particularly in math and writing. Some one-on-one tutoring is available by subject, depending on availability. CBC also subscribes to an e-tutoring consortium (www.etutoring.org) which provides 24/7 assistance from instructors across the country. The Learning Opportunities Center (LOC) in the A building provides adult basic education, GED, and ESA (formerly ESL) classes. Counselors teach free classes about college success strategies and provide many workshops throughout the year on topics such as notetaking, test anxiety, time management, and studying smarter. Students are encouraged to meet with their instructors during office hours when they do not understand the material. We also encourage students to form study groups.

All new students are also required to enroll in a college success course during their first quarter.

The Resource Center at CBC offers assistance to students with a documented disability. In order to qualify for accommodations, students must complete an intake process through the Center. Accommodations are individually determined, but examples of accommodations include extra testing time, note takers, sign language interpreters, books in an alternate format, and adaptive furniture or equipment. The Resource Center also offers assistance to students who do not have a diagnosed disability, but are struggling with their classes. Staff can make an informal assessment of a student’s learning needs and offer referrals to community professionals for evaluation.

9. Q: What assistance is available for students wanting to transfer? A: CBC invites four-year colleges and universities to come to Pasco and meet with students who may be interested in transferring. Typically, most Washington public universities visit the CBC campus about two to three times per year. Students are encouraged to make appointments with visiting college staff. WSU Tri-Cities, Heritage, and Eastern Washington have office hours on the Pasco campus and their staff are available on a scheduled basis. CBC also offers transfer workshops throughout the year. More information can be found on our Transfer planning page.

10. Q: What are CBC’s policies concerning alcohol and drug use and abuse? A: CBC maintains an alcohol and drug-free campus and violations of the College’s alcohol and drug policy are cause for disciplinary action. Rarely has the College had alcohol or drug-related incidents. The College reserves the right to contact parents of students under the age of 21 who are found to have violated our alcohol or drug policy.

11. Q: What measures are in place to provide for the safety and security of students?A: The College subscribes all student email addresses to its campus-wide emergency notification system which communicates all information pertaining to safety or security threats/problems via email, text messages and pop-up alerts. Students are also encouraged to subscribe with personal email addresses. ASaferCBC website is available for students and others to communicate safety and security concerns.

Training on emergency evacuation and lockdown procedures occurs each year; students in FYI also view a video instructing them in safety measures should there be a campus shooter. Our campuses are well lighted and safe. Security personnel patrol both the Pasco and Richland campuses Monday through Friday until approximately 9:00 p.m.

The College is required by law to report all crimes that occur on its campuses and immediate proximity. The campus safety report demonstrates that CBC is a very safe college.

12: Q: Does the College provide programs or services that encourage physical and emotional health and well-being? A: CBC requires three credits of physical or health education in order to receive a degree. The Fitness Center, located next to the gym, has state-of-the-art fitness and exercise equipment which is available to all students who register for a fitness class. Other health education courses instruct students in various health/wellness matters such as weight control, exercise, nutrition, and drug awareness.

CBC counselors are registered counselors through the Washington State Department of Health and offer workshops and special lectures on a variety of health and wellness topics. They also provide short-term counseling to students regarding personal concerns. There is no charge for their services. Students needing longer term assistance can be referred to community mental health providers. During regular business hours, counselors also provide assistance to students in crisis situations.

13. Q: Where can parents and students find a list of important procedural deadlines? A: Deadlines are published on our calendar. Deadlines may also posted on screens on campus. Students are responsible for knowing and meeting deadlines.

14. Q: Why does it take so long for the College to make a decision about financial aid?
A: Financial aid funds come from the U.S. Department of Education and the state of Washington and we are required to follow their processes. Before financial aid can be awarded, staff in the Financial Aid department must verify eligibility and determine the appropriate amount of aid and this takes time. When students submit complete and accurate paperwork, the process moves rather smoothly.

The Financial Aid department publishes application deadlines for each quarter to assure that financial aid is awarded prior to the tuition deadlines. Unfortunately, when students do not have complete and accurate files by the quarter deadline, their files are reviewed in the order in which they are completed. Students can check on the status of their financial aid application through the Financial Aid Portal.

Students are advised to have back up plans in the event they do not receive aid prior to tuition deadlines and should plan to pay some portion of their tuition and fees if they expect to keep the classes in which they are already registered. The Student Tuition Easy Payment Plan (STEPP) may be a good option for many students while they await notice of financial aid. If a student ultimately receives a financial aid award, it is usually made retroactive so students can be reimbursed for out-of-pocket tuition they may have already paid.

15. Q: Do we have to apply for financial aid every year? A: Yes, a new application must be submitted for each academic year in which a student requests financial aid. We recommend that students begin the process by submitting a new FAFSA for the upcoming new academic year as soon as possible after October. Students do not need their parent income tax information in order to start the process.

16. Q. Are we able to pay tuition and fees in installments?A: Yes, CBC has a payment plan known as the Student Tuition Easy Payment Plan (STEPP) which spreads out the cost of tuition over three months. Note, however, that once a student has enrolled in the program, the STEPP payment deadlines must be met or the student will be withdrawn from classes or sent to collection.

17. Q: How can I help my child be successful at CBC?A: Here are the most important ways you can assist your child:

Make them responsible for their education; do not do their work for them like applying for admissions, registering for classes, writing papers, fighting their battles.

Remind them of deadlines, but be ready for the consequences if they fail to follow through.

Realize that although your child may still be living at home while attending college, there will be new time demands. Think of college like a job. Except for rare and unusual reasons, do not make demands on them that conflict with their class obligations. If they would not be able to meet their job expectations, they would likely be fired. If they are not able to meet college expectations, they will likely not pass their classes and may ultimately be academically dismissed.

Remind them to check their CBC student email daily. Students will automatically get a CBC email account and during FYI they will learn how they can forward their CBC email to their personal email account. Most of our communications, including financial aid and academic probation status, is provided by email.

Be particularly mindful of mid-term and finals schedules. During these times, students should be putting extra time into studying and completing assignments.

Grades are not mailed home; students can access them through MyCBC approximately five days after finals. If your child did not do well, talk with them about making adjustments to be more successful the following quarter. Encourage them to visit with a counselor or seek out other resources at the College. Students may want to reduce the number of classes they are taking or repeat classes.

While many students may need to work to help pay for their education, the majority of students at CBC are working far more hours than is reasonable given their class load. It is far better that a student reduce their work hours or their class load than to try to do it all and later drop out or be academically dismissed. Please help your child be realistic about the demands of college.

Be supportive and encouraging.

18. Q: Where do I call if I have questions? A: Visit the service directory or contact Administration listed below.

For questions or comments about this page, please contact: Administration, Phone: 509-542-2449